On a sunny day in Inglewood, former MLB catcher Carl Nichols, offers some insight to a father and son about the game of baseball. While Jackie Robinson broke major league baseball’s color line, it is reported that less than 10% of today’s active players are black.
Of additional interest is the fact that during its heyday, the Negro Leagues, the black-owned and operated that existed before major league baseball allowed non-white players, drew crowds that outnumbered all other leagues. There is, however, an effort to increase the number of black players playing little league, high school, college and professional baseball. We discovered one such example in Inglewood.
We are happy to announce the return of From Fatherless to Fatherhood to Aspire TV. Be sure not to miss its airing on June 17th, Father’s Day, at 12:30PM EST. Be sure to follow a few of our outtakes below, and tweet the producer, @kobiechronicles using #fromfatherlesstofatherhood about the film.
Corey Smyth wears his uncle’s wedding ring on his hand for a good reason. Growing up without his father, Corey’s uncle provided him with a living example of what it meant to be a man. Since that time Corey has built a career in music; working with Dave Chappelle as music supervisor on the critically acclaimed Chapelle Show; and managing artists ranging from De La Soul, Mos Def and Kweli Talib, to Vince Staples.
His career has taken him all around the world. Traveling among the stars can easily make one jaded, but through the birth of his daughter, Nyla, Corey has discovered a passion and greater appreciation for capturing life’s purest moments.
My name is Jermaine and I’m the father of two; my 12 year-old daughter and my 5 year-old son. My marriage to their mother is important to me because I find parenting requires a certain balance and teamwork that’s not always gender specific. Each of us holds the ingredients to our children’s success.
As it relates to me, the events that followed the death of Freddie Gray and the efforts of the 300 Men March against violence provide a platform to look at both issues, but it’s the anti-violence part that really touches me because I grew up surrounded by violence in Baltimore. That violence never hit home until it claimed my two younger brothers, who were murdered three years apart in Baltimore City. We’re on the corner of Park Heights and Cold Spring which is even more symbolic, because it’s the neighborhood my brothers and I grew up in.
I don’t live in the city anymore, but when we visit my daughter, in particular, is curious about the difference between the suburbs and the city. Our trips to Baltimore allow me to explain the importance of the company they keep, and people they associate with. No matter where you live, it’s important to always treat people with respect and to not be neighborhood or socioeconomic-centric. Most of all our visits prevent them from being naïve about what’s happening in the world beyond our neighborhood. I never want my kids to think living outside of the City of Baltimore makes them better than others, or to lead them to imagine other people don’t exist.
When I look at the closure of libraries and recreational centers, I realize it increases the number of unattended and misdirected kids on the city’s streets. So I plan on being part of the solution by engaging those youth impacted. We could live in a house on the hill, with no neighbors for miles, but we can never lose site of what we can do for the kids who may go hungry at night and struggle every day in the cities we come from.
As a father I want my children to see themselves, value, and humanity in the lives others.
On the next episode of The “FIND A WAY to MAKE A WAY” Show, in honor of Fathers Day, Harold S. Reed, Jr. dedicates the show to discussing what it is to be a father. The lines will be open for fathers to call in and share their insights and advice and for everyone else to give their dads a special shout out as well! We’ll be there and so should YOU!!
My name is Matt, and I am the father of three boys and a girl.
Education is important to me for my children because life is about maneuvering and navigating through paths that exist, as well as creating those that don’t. Those who educate themselves and gain education from others have the ability to successfully navigate the paths that exist and create ones that don’t. The more you learn and master, the more possibilities you open up for yourself.
School limits us to a miniscule amount of what there is to know. In order to be educated one really must explore, read and watch various media forms, as well as get insight from elders in our communities who have wisdom from their own life experiences to share.
Following the riots I intend to mostly continue on the path I’ve been on. I’ve been an avid supporter of community organizations doing work in Baltimore. I’ve also been pulling fathers and families together in various ways for over a decade. I do plan to work with a few good brothers on a non-profit organization that serves children whose fathers are not in their lives, and fathers who are not in their children’s lives, although I planned to do that before the riots.
Doing these things will ensure that I continually do what I can to give people in Baltimore –both youth and adults– opportunities and resources needed to overcome obstacles that they face in life, and that they have positive male figures to help guide them along the way.
The Fatherhood Collective is my organization. Others doing great work in Baltimore include Leaders of a Beautiful Struggle, Save A Dope Boy, Shelly’s Helping Hands, Dream Girls Mentoring and the 300 Men Movement, just to name a few. As it relates to Baltimore and other parts of the world, fathers can improve the trajectory of their children and society by being living examples. Be that which you want others to emulate. Our children, and even other fathers, watch what we do.
“Growing up in Baltimore my friends and I were familiar with being harassed by the police. As a father, my job is to go to work and provide for my family. My sons’ job is to do well in school. I don’t want my children growing up facing the same harassment my friends and I did, so I want to teach them the power of education, protest and demonstration early. That’s why we’re out here.” – Steve
“I brought my niece and my son out to this anti-violence demonstration today so they could see we are strongest when we are united. Most of all I want my four year old son to see older men who are committed to younger people, and defy many stereotypes. It’s good to know there are men who can provide an example of what my son can grow to be.” – Jasmine
As Father’s Day approaches we take a look at every day men and women from Baltimore, Maryland as they reflect on topics of manhood, fatherhood and the strengthening of their community; all on the heels of riots growing out of the murder of Baltimore citizen, Freddie Gray, by local police. Collectively, the wisdom they share and efforts they make to advance their community are nothing short of indispensable.
